A tribute to a departed leader became the launchpad for two new institutions on Thursday, 12 November 2026, as Nagpur witnessed the unveiling of a memorial to late social worker and educationist Dattaji Meghe — alongside the inauguration of a new agricultural college and a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital in nearby Ramtek. The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra confirmed that RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat unveiled the memorial, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari presiding over the institution launch.

What was inaugurated in Ramtek on 12 November

Three landmarks were formally opened on the day: the Nandkishor Jaiswal Agricultural College, the Shalinitaai Datta Meghe Veterinary Hospital, and the Dattaji Meghe Memorial Hall — all in Ramtek, a town in Nagpur district. The event brought together senior state and central government figures alongside RSS leadership, a constellation that reflects Nagpur's unique political and organisational geography as the RSS's own headquarters city.

Naming the agricultural college after Nandkishor Jaiswal, CM Fadnavis said, honours a figure central to Ramtek's overall development. The occasion was also attended by state ministers Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, state ministers of state Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, and MLA Sameer Meghe.

Fadnavis on climate change, farming, and skilled graduates

Speaking at the event, CM Fadnavis placed the new institutions squarely inside a larger climate-crisis argument. 'The agricultural sector bears the greatest brunt of climate change,' he said. 'Developing crop varieties that can withstand changing conditions, achieving more output with less water, and driving modern technology and research in agriculture — these are the demands of the hour.'

He stressed that institutions producing scientifically oriented, skill-ready, research-driven human resources are critical to this mission, and described the Ramtek agricultural college as exactly that kind of investment. The message was pointed: not just degrees, but graduates who can help farmers adapt.

Livestock as a second income pillar — the veterinary angle

The Chief Minister went further, arguing that animal husbandry is an equally vital plank of farmers' economic well-being — not a secondary concern. 'Indigenous cattle are not just a source of milk; they are an important component of the entire farming ecosystem,' he said. The new veterinary hospital, he argued, will push modern treatment methods and research into livestock care, directly empowering pastoralists and mixed farmers across the region.

This framing — livestock health as farm income stabiliser — reflects a growing emphasis in Maharashtra's rural policy on diversifying smallholder revenue streams beyond crop cycles alone.

Dattaji Meghe's legacy and the Meghe family's role in Vidarbha

CM Fadnavis paid tribute to late Dattaji Meghe, calling his life's work a sustained effort to uplift the poor, the deprived, and marginalised communities through education, health, and employment. 'Through institutions built by his own toil, he gave generously to society,' Fadnavis said. He added that the Meghe family has carried forward the late leader's vision of educational expansion by anchoring it in quality and public orientation.

The Meghe family's institutional footprint in Vidarbha spans health, education, and rural welfare — a legacy the new facilities in Ramtek extend further.

Maharashtra has steadily broadened its agricultural university network since the establishment of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth in 1969. The Ramtek additions represent the continuation of that arc — this time with a Vidarbha focus and a climate-adaptation mandate built into the founding rationale. Whether new curricula and research pipelines follow at pace is the key variable to watch.